Martellus Bennett | Tight End

3/12/2013: Signed a four-year, $20.4 million contract. The deal contains $5.215 million guaranteed, including a $4.5 million signing bonus. Bennett is eligible for an annual $100,000 workout bonus throughout the contract's life. 2015: $4.9 million, 2016: $5.085 million, 2017: Free Agent

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Martellus Bennett reported for the start of Bears training camp.

Bennett sat out all of OTAs and minicamp. He wants a new contract, but has two years remaining on his current four-year deal and seems to have conceded more money won't be coming his way this year. "I'll do what I did last season," he said, "and it will address itself." Bennett set career-highs in catches (90), yards (916) and touchdowns (six) last year and remains a mid-to-high TE1. Jul 31 - 9:11 AM

ESPN's Jeff Dickerson believes this could be Martellus Bennett's final season in Chicago.

Bennett led all tight ends with 90 catches last season, but is unhappy with his contract. He's promised to report for training camp, but is headed into his age-28 season. He's due an eminently reasonable $5.085 million in 2016, but the Bears may decide to move on if they don't believe Bennett is worthy of an extension. Bennett's unique personality hasn't always endeared him to coaching staffs the way it does fans. Jul 27 - 1:26 PM

Martellus Bennett confirmed Tuesday he plans to be at Bears training camp.

Bennett skipped OTAs over dissatisfaction with his contract, but he reported to minicamp and it appears the fuss is over. Bennett explained his OTA absence by stating "every American should be trying to get a new contract." Bennett's receptions will drop with Eddie Royal and Kevin White added to Chicago's receiver corps, but "Black Unicorn" could set a career high in touchdowns. New OC Adam Gase is as diligent as any NFL coordinator about feeding his biggest players in the red zone. Bennett stands 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds. Jun 16 - 5:05 PM

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ESPN's Jeff Dickerson believes this could be Martellus Bennett's final season in Chicago.

Bennett led all tight ends with 90 catches last season, but is unhappy with his contract. He's promised to report for training camp, but is headed into his age-28 season. He's due an eminently reasonable $5.085 million in 2016, but the Bears may decide to move on if they don't believe Bennett is worthy of an extension. Bennett's unique personality hasn't always endeared him to coaching staffs the way it does fans.

Martellus Bennett confirmed Tuesday he plans to be at Bears training camp.

Bennett skipped OTAs over dissatisfaction with his contract, but he reported to minicamp and it appears the fuss is over. Bennett explained his OTA absence by stating "every American should be trying to get a new contract." Bennett's receptions will drop with Eddie Royal and Kevin White added to Chicago's receiver corps, but "Black Unicorn" could set a career high in touchdowns. New OC Adam Gase is as diligent as any NFL coordinator about feeding his biggest players in the red zone. Bennett stands 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds.

Practice gets underway Tuesday. Bennett skipped the previous eight weeks of Chicago's offseason program, and has "made clear his desire for a new contract." Bennett's unwillingness to absorb fines that would've come from missing the mandatory minicamp strongly indicates Bennett is also unwilling to absorb far-more hefty fines associated with skipping training camp or regular season games. He can now start learning new OC Adam Gase's offense.

Bennett protested his contract situation by skipping OTAs but wasn't willing to pay the $72,920 fine that comes from missing minicamp. Bennett led the NFL in receptions among tight ends (90) last season. He's sure to see a downtick in targets this year after the Bears added Kevin White and Eddie Royal.

ESPN Chicago has also predicted Martellus will show for minicamp. Bennett is under contract, so he can be fined for not attending. OTAs are considered voluntary, and therefore his absence from them was not eligible to be penalized. The Bears have been staunch in their stance that Bennett isn't getting the raise he wants. The 28-year-old is owed a $4.9 million salary in 2015.

ESPN Chicago believes "the most likely outcome" is that Martellus Bennett shows up to mandatory minicamp.

Bennett is skipping voluntary workouts, but runs the risk of being fined if he doesn't attend June 16 minicamp. Despite setting career highs last year, the Bears aren't expected to give Bennett a raise and are reportedly willing to go the distance with his holdout. With Bennett under contract for the next two years, Chicago holds all the leverage. Bennett will likely be forced to play out 2015 at his $4.9 million salary.

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole said the Bears are "more than willing" to let TE Martellus Bennett "go the distance" with his hold out.

Owed just under $10 million over the final two years of his deal, Bennett has been absent to this point in the Bears' offseason program. Bennett is making his point clear by missing voluntary events, but he can prove he is serious about the holdout by skipping Chicago's mandatory minicamp on June 16. Bennett set career highs in receptions (90), yards (916) and touchdowns (6) last season.

Martellus Bennett did not appear at OTAs Wednesday as he continues to hold out for a new contract.

He hasn't been at any of the Bears' practices over the last five weeks. At his current annual salary, Bennett is the league's 13th highest-paid tight end. The 2014 Pro Bowler deserves a raise but the Bears don't have to give him one as he's still under contract for two more seasons. Bennett set career-highs in catches (90), yards (916) and touchdowns (six) last season.

Bennett is unhappy with the $9.985 million owed to him over the final two years of his deal, and he made that discontent known by skipping the Bears' voluntary workouts. Bennett's desire for a new contract could hurt his trade value, as any team which trades for him would also need to work out a long-term extension with the inconsistent and eccentric playmaker. With the draft already in the books, the most likely scenario is Bennett plays out 2015 under his current contract before revisiting a new deal next offseason.

Bennett wants more money and has yet to report for offseason activities. "The answer is not going to change much -- it is voluntary," coach John Fox said on the final day of rookie minicamp. "I prefer guys be here, but if they’re not, they’re not." The Bears will know Martellus is willing to play hardball if he doesn't report to their mandatory minicamp in June, for which Bennett can be fined if he skips.

Coach John Fox said Thursday that he expects Martellus Bennett to be on the Bears' roster when the draft concludes.

"Yeah," Fox said when asked if Bennett will be staying with Chicago. ESPN reported Wednesday that the Bears are open to trading Bennett, who wants a new contract. Losing Bennett would deliver a massive blow to Chicago's offense, as he is both a high-impact pass catcher and run blocker. They have very little behind him, and this year's draft is weak on tight end talents.

The Ravens have ten draft picks -- tied for second most in the NFL -- while the Bears only have six. Baltimore also has a major need for pass catchers, and new Ravens OC Marc Trestman oversaw back-to-back career years from Martellus in 2013-2014 with Chicago. Hensley also mentions Brandon Pettigrew as a possible Ravens target. Bennett is a far-superior player to Pettigrew.

Bennett is entering the third year of a four-year, $20.4 million contract and wants a new deal. With a new regime in Chicago, the Bears are probably at least open to the idea of saving some money and acquiring more picks in the draft with Bennett coming off a career season in which he posted a 90-916-6 line. The "Black Unicorn" led all tight ends in targets with 125. He just turned 28.

Bears coach John Fox insisted Saturday that first-round pick Kevin White (shin) is "making progress" while on the active/PUP list.

White is dealing with some sort of shin injury while also working to improve his cardio, which essentially means he's out of shape. "It’s fair to say he is doing (cardio work) at some level, some phase," Fox said. "He’s making progress." White has missed multiple practices now since Bears camp started.